Page 135 of Beneath the Shadows

“It’s him,” I say, connecting the call. “Where is she?”

Silence. Then, a distorted, almost playful voice whispers through the line.

“The beating of her heart grows faint. Come alone, or it will never beat again. No weapons, no tricks. The pit awaits you.”

The line goes dead, but a text follows seconds later with an address. I know the place—an abandoned building on the outskirts of the city.

It’s a trap. It reeks of one. But I don’t have a choice.

“What did he say?” Dante asks, watching me closely.

“The call dropped. It was a bad connection,” I lie, pocketing the phone before he presses for more.

His eyes narrow. “That didn’t sound like nothing.”

I turn my back to him, forcing myself to think, to plan. If I tell him where I’m going, he’ll insist on coming. And if he does, Alessia will be dead before I can get to her. I need to shake him off, make him think it’s something else—anything else.

“Antonio, what the hell did he say?” Dante steps closer.

“I told you. It was a bad connection. There’s some old business I need to check on. I’ll call you later.”

Dante crosses his arms. “You expect me to believe you’re running off to handleold businesswhile Alessia’s missing?”

I meet his gaze, my voice steady. “We’ve got men all over the city. I can’t sit here and do nothing. I have to follow up on some things.”

“Then we’ll go together.”

“No,” I say, shutting him down. “I need someone I trust keeping an eye on things here while I check this out. If we’re both gone, we might miss something important.”

Dante studies me, eyes narrowed, but he knows me too well. He knows I’m lying. The clock’s monstrous ticking gnaws at me, as though time itself is conspiring against me. Every second wasted here is another Alessia might not have.

I step closer, locking eyes with him. “Listen to me. No matter what happens, getting Alessia back alive must be your top priority. You understand?”

He blinks, startled by the urgency in my voice. “What are you talking about? Of course, it’s the priority.”

“Promise me, Dante. If something goes wrong, if I don’t come back.” The words slip out. “I’m counting on you to make sure she’s safe. You get her out of this mess. Whatever it takes.”

“Don’t talk like that. You’re coming back.”

“Promise me,” I demand, gripping his shoulder. “Say it.”

After a long pause, he exhales sharply. “I promise. I’ll keep her safe.”

I release him, a strange sense of finality settling over me. “Good.”

Dante studies me, suspicion still lingering. “Where are you really going?”

“You trust me, right?” I ask, holding his gaze. He nods, albeit reluctantly. “Then trust me to handle this. I’ll call you the second I know anything.”

He exhales, though the tension in his shoulders doesn’t ease. “Fine. But if I don’t hear from you in an hour, I’m coming after you.”

I nod and head for the door before he changes his mind. “Deal.”

Outside, I break into a sprint, heading for my car. I can only hope I get to that address before it’s too late.

Antonio

My car skids to a stop in the gravel lot outside the decaying building. Cracked windows leer down at me, weeds strangle the walls, and the stench of rot hits me the second I step out of the car. My pulse thrums violently as I wrench the rusty metal door open and step into the darkness.

---